What are the customs and culture of Britain?

One, meet:

British people meet each other for the first time, generally have to shake hands. In addition to men and women in love, walking in general people do not hold hands. The British don't like people interfering with their personal lives. When you visit an Englishman, you have to knock at the door and wait until he says "Come in" before you can go in. Gentlemen take off their hats when they enter a room, but ladies do not have to do so inside.

II. Gift-giving and Tipping:

In England it is confined to tipping waiters and cab drivers, 1/10th or 1/8th of a cent more than the cost of the meal and the fare. You are also expected to tip a small amount after an inn attendant or railroad porter has served you.

Three, wedding and funeral etiquette

①, England's rich and colorful wedding customs, from the proposal to the honeymoon are carried out according to their own traditional way. In the north of England, the city of York, the proposal of marriage is quite peculiar, inherited from the ancient folk tradition, the girl after maturity, the need to get married, they will put on different colors of tight clothing, to the male signals. Different colors mean different things, just like traffic lights. The green color means, "Come on! I'm willing to fall in love, boldly pursue it!" Yellow means, "Opportunity is there, if it suits me there is still a chance of success." Red indicates, "I don't want to fall in love at the moment, don't pursue me." Brave young man will be based on the other side of the dress color, according to their own choice to boldly pursue, will never be labeled as misbehavior. Once a relationship is established, the man gives the woman an engagement ring and performs the ceremony. This custom is widespread throughout Britain. Marriage or betrothal ring is a traditional custom of many nationalities, the English people in the church wedding ceremony, the groom to the bride to wear a ring is an important and indispensable content. People even consider a marriage without a ring to be invalid. When the priest asked a couple whether they are willing to be each other's wives or husbands, whether they can respect each other and grow old together, the groom puts a ring on the bride's ring finger. It symbolizes the husband's pure love for his wife, while the wife expresses her acceptance and fidelity to that love.

②, the custom of wearing a ring can be traced back to ancient Egypt, China, it is not only as a token is also a kind of decoration. Marriage ring is not initially set with diamonds, emeralds and rubies and other ornaments, pure round symbolizes the reunion of the two people linked together by marriage. In some ethnic groups it symbolizes a magical power that blesses the couple with a long and happy life, while the giver expresses trust in the receiver and the receiver expresses loyalty to the giver.

Gold rings symbolize the innocence of love, silver rings mean emotional tenderness. The British with the same Western countries, the betrothal ring is made of gold and not inlaid with any gemstone, the wedding ring should be added to the decorations, as for the quality of the ring according to the individual's financial conditions are different and different. The engagement and wedding rings can be worn on the same ring finger, or the engagement ring can be replaced by the wedding ring.

In England, in the 16th century, the inside of wedding rings were often engraved with family motifs or mottoes, such as "God has made me so-and-so's wife," and a bishop's wife's ring was engraved with a hand, a heart, a bishop's crown, and a skull, with an inscription that reads, "The first three I give to thee, the fourth makes me transcendent." Most of the inscriptions on rings today are engraved only with the opening letters of the names of the bride and groom.

3, the British to wear a dress to get married; the bride dressed in white, white dress, head wearing a white wreath, but also covered with a long white veil, holding a white bouquet. In short, the British revere white, which symbolizes the purity of love, good luck. The custom of wearing a veil can be traced back to the 10th century BC, when the two river valleys have been prevalent in women wearing a veil. In Ancient Greece, the wedding ceremony, not only the bride to wear a linen or woolen veil, and a pair of couples have to wear a flower crown. To the Roman era, different religious beliefs to wear different colors of the veil to show the difference. After the Middle Ages, the court nobles appeared among the flower crown decorated with pearls. Later, the development of white veil, and the size is increasingly extended, and all over Europe.

When the wedding is held, wearing a white gown, the head of the white veil of the bride holding her father's arm, accompanied by female guests, in the wedding march into the church. The groom in a dress, accompanied by male guests standing at the altar waiting for the bride. British people at home someone died, often in the newspaper published a small announcement, friends and relatives see the announcement to go to the funeral, in order to show respect for the deceased and greetings to their families.

4, once the wedding, the bride and groom out of the church, people want to congratulate the newcomer, this congratulations is not a kiss, embrace and handshake, but to them to sprinkle colorful confetti. The custom of sprinkling confetti originated from the sprinkling of wheat grains. 1491 King Henry VII of England traveled to Bristol with his queen. While traveling, they were seen by a baker's wife, who sprinkled them with grains of wheat from a window and shouted, "Welcome, Your Majesty! I wish you happiness and long life." This became a popular story, and by the 16th century the custom had become widespread, with people scattering grains of wheat on the bride and groom, sometimes dyed in various colors. The grains of wheat symbolize a good harvest and a rich life, and also congratulate the newlyweds on their happiness and longevity, as well as their children and grandchildren.

5, honeymoon is also an important part of the marriage of young people around the United Kingdom. They saved money for travel, and after the wedding to travel is called honeymoon. This is an ancient custom, in the newlyweds must drink a special drink with honey, used to symbolize the family, sweet love and happy life. And this drink from the beginning of marriage to drink 30 days, so the first month of marriage is called the honeymoon.

6, in the United Kingdom for the wedding anniversary is very important, every year to celebrate and have a different title. The first year is the paper wedding, the second year is the cotton wedding, the third year is the leather wedding, the fourth year is the Yi wedding, the fifth year is called the wood wedding, the sixth year is called the iron wedding, the seventh year is called the copper wedding, the eighth year is called the pottery wedding, the ninth year is the willow wedding, the tenth year is the tin wedding, and later on is the steel wedding, the winding kernel wedding, the lace wedding, the ivory wedding, and the crystal wedding. From the fifteenth year onward, there is a title for each of the five years, in order, enamel wedding, silver wedding (the twenty-fifth year is a great celebration), bead wedding, coral wedding, ruby wedding, sapphire wedding, gold wedding (the fiftieth year is the second great celebration), emerald wedding, and diamond wedding. This last is the third great celebration, but few people get to celebrate this one.

Four, taboos

①, can not be jammed

British people have the habit of queuing. You can see them lining up one by one to get on a public **** bus, train or buy a newspaper. Congestion is a disgraceful behavior.

②, you can't ask a lady's age

British people are very uncomfortable to talk about a man's salary and a woman's age, even how much the furniture in his house is worth, you shouldn't ask. It is also inappropriate to ask a lady her age, as she considers it her own secret, and as everyone wants to stay young, there is no better compliment than to say "you look so young" to a middle-aged woman. There is no doubt that every woman's hair, make-up and clothes are designed to make her look beautiful and young, but if she is dressed in a way that makes her feel too intentional, she will be criticized for "looking tacky".

3, can not bargain

In the United Kingdom shopping, the most taboo is to cut the price. The British do not like to haggle, think it is a very disgraceful thing. You also need to be careful to agree on an all-in price with the seller if you are buying a valuable piece of art or a large quantity of goods. The British rarely haggle; if they think the price of an item is right, they buy it, and if not, they walk away.

4, the British believe that 13 and Friday is inauspicious, especially the 13th and Friday meet more taboo, this time, many people prefer to stay at home do not go out. In Britain, it is taboo to talk about a man's salary, a woman's age, political tendencies and so on. They abstain from shaking hands in a four-way cross pattern, and also abstain from lighting cigarettes three times in a row.

5, go to the British home guests, it is best to bring some of the lower value of the gift, because the cost is not much will not be suspected of bribery. Gifts are generally: high-grade chocolates, wine, flowers, especially in China with national characteristics of folk arts and crafts, they are particularly appreciated. And there are guests of the company mark souvenirs are not interested. In the United Kingdom, clothing, soap and other items are not too involved in the private life of individuals, so the help is generally not used to send people. Chrysanthemums are only used for Halloween or funerals in any European country and are generally not suitable for gifting. White lilies symbolize death in the UK and are not suitable for gifting. All other flowers can be given as gifts. Potted plants are usually sent after a party. If you are invited to someone's home as a guest, it is important to note that if it is a social occasion, not business, it is impolite to arrive early as the hostess will have to make preparations for you, and if you go early and she is not ready, it will embarrass her. It is better to arrive 10 minutes late. In terms of accepting gifts, the British and our habits are very different. They often open the gift in front of the guest, regardless of the value of the gift, or whether it is useful, the host will give warm praise to show appreciation. Scotch is a very common gift, strong whiskey is not.

Fifth, guests and table manners

If you are invited to someone's home as a guest, you should be kohu such a few situations. For example, when should you arrive at the host's home? If it's not a serious conversation, just a social gathering, it's rude to arrive early. The hostess is getting ready and it would be very embarrassing for her if you arrived before she was completely ready. Arriving 10 minutes late is best. Arriving half an hour late is too late and requires an apology to the host. When should you leave? There's no rule for this, but it's rude to sit too late in your host's home. If you are just invited to **** for dinner and a chat, then it's best if you leave between 10 and 11pm or say goodbye an hour after the meal. If you are invited to stay for a few days or a weekend, make a point of buying a bouquet of flowers for your hostess before you leave; this will make her very happy. Also, the day after you leave, send a note to thank your host and include a small gift such as a box of chocolates or some flowers.

There are many different ways of entertaining in Britain, mainly tea parties and banquets, including formal and informal tea parties. The British do not cloth food and wine, all depending on the interest of the guests to take. Generally take the dishes to eat all the courtesy, do not drink in the waiter poured wine, will put his hand to the mouth of a cup on the line. Guests can say goodbye to each other shaking hands and nodding their heads.

British people generally more favorite cooking methods are: braising, grilling, frying and deep-frying. Meat, seafood, game cooking have a unique way; however, they have a special preference for beef, such as barbecued beef (ROASTED BEEF), not only attached to the consumption of seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes, will be added to the steak with a little mustard sauce; in the use of condiments is preferred to the cream and wine; in the spices are preferred to the meat koumou, cinnamon and other fresh spices.

More people know the name of the British cuisine dishes are: beef cashew pie (STEAK KIDNEY PIE), fish and chips (ENGLISH FISH CHIP), the Royal Cream Chicken (CHICKEN A LA KING) and so on. The British like to hunt, only once a year in the hunting season, there are many hotels or restaurants will launch a game meal, such as wild deer (VENISON), hare (HARE), pheasants (PHEASANT), wild goats (WILDSHEEP) and other cooking. The general cooking game, are used some juniper berries or berries and wine, this practice is to remove the food itself stinky flavor.

British people are very concerned about breakfast! British restaurants serve a wide variety of meals, fruit juice, fruit, eggs, meat, wheat porridge, bread, jam and coffee. The popular afternoon tea (HIGH TEA) is also from the United Kingdom, the more well-known Victorian style VICTORIAN STYLE), the content can be said to be all-encompassing, including a variety of desserts, muffins, fruit tarts (TARTE) and sandwiches and so on. Dinner for the British is also the most important part of daily life, they choose the meal time is usually later, and are eating and drinking and chatting to promote the friendship between the diners, you can imagine that they belong to a very autonomous people, and a dinner for them may take several hours!